Uchiha Twin
by MidnightNinja777
Summary: Sasuke's twin sister returns to Konoha after some years of training 'by herself'. But she's hiding secrets, and Sasuke begins to suspect it. Rated T for possible swearing in some chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Derp. So I'm just going to type this out again because dear goodness, it's rubbish.**

**Edited in: Oops, forgot the disclaimer! I do not own Naruto.  
**

* * *

A girl brushed her hair out of her eyes and gazed at the village in front of her. Konoha.

She shuffled on the tree branch she was balancing on, staring down at the gates. How many years had it been since she had walked away? She counted in her head - five years.

Five years since she had last seen her family. Five years since she had dropped the name Midori Uchiha. And now she was going to have to take up the profile again.

She tugged at the hair framing her face, observing the light brown color. No doubt her eyes were their deep green as well. Midori Uchiha had never had brown hair. Her eyes had never been green either - funny, she mused, considering what her name meant - green.

Midori stayed absolutely still, sensing her chakra. She had been keeping up this new appearance for so long that the chakra she spread out in her body was automatic. Stopping the flow, she waited, still staring at the twist of hair in her fingers. The brown color seemed to be melt away, being replaced by black.

Just to make sure, Midori leaped down from the branch to check in a puddle. Not one brown strand of hair was left, and her eyes were onyx too. Good.

She glanced up at the tree, making sure she hadn't left anything behind. The tree's thinner branches seemed to be nodding up and down in the breeze, almost like they were encouraging her on. She grinned. The young girl had sometimes sat up in that very tree for ages, just watching Konoha, a wistful look in her eyes. But she wasn't going to just sit and stare today.

With a growing thrill, she began walking towards the gates. She didn't bother pulling up the hood of her cloak - that would only make her look suspicious.

The shinobi on sentry duty only looked at her as she passed. Plenty of people passed by into Konoha to submit missions for the village's ninja.

Midori grinned in pure delight as she walked in the streets, staring at the buildings. It hadn't changed much since she had been a child, touring Konoha with her brothers. Of course, back then the shopkeepers had always waved and smiled and offered a treat to her and her twin brother. The twins had been precocious little ones, and quite endearing when they wanted to be.

She found herself at the Uchiha compound quickly enough. Now this, the silent houses on each side of the small street, she didn't linger to see. Pulling up her hood to block her side vision, she hurried past until she reached a house at the very end. Pushing open the door, her footsteps slowed as she wandered through the house, until she stopped in of a small room.

Midori gazed at her surroundings, sighing. Her bedroom was just the same as she had left it. The cupboard was still there, at the end of the room, with a mirror hanging beside it...

She chuckled a little ruefully when she saw her reflection in the mirror, dropping her hood again to get a better look. Her hair had reverted to brown again. Trying to ignore the memories of the compound, she must have been too distracted to stop the transformation jutsu from activating again.

But then again, it was a little hard to remember Midori Uchiha. After all, this girl, with wavy brown hair and green eyes, was now more famous than Midori Uchiha had ever been. Her alter ego, Ren Takoshi.

Midori murmured the name to herself. She'd spent the past five years in the guise of her own creation, Ren. Refining the transformation jutsu she already knew had taken over a year, but her work had paid off. This version was much easier to keep going, and Midori hardly spent a moment as herself anymore. She didn't just have Ren – she had a whole collection of alter egos, each suited for a different purpose.

She forced the jutsu away, and smiled in relief when her hair turned its old brownish black, and her eyes become the onyx they'd been at her birth. But she didn't stay like that for long. She soon took on another identity at random: a petite girl with pale, icy-blue hair and large teal eyes.

For a moment, she blinked at her reflection, surprised at her choice. Then, shrugging, she turned to leave the room. Midori would have liked to use Ren for this mission, but her usual alter ego wouldn't do for this particular job.

She couldn't help but pause at the doorway, her eyes scanning the room she used to love so much.

Instead of a bed, Midori had a mattress. As a young child, she had asked for it, a demanding spark in her eyes. She had always liked to feel close to the earth, and hated heights. Her mother, as indulgent towards her little girl as ever, obliged, and got Midori a pale green mattress, with dark green bedsheets that had white leaf patterns.

Beside Midori's bed was a small, low table. As her eyes passed over it, Midori couldn't help but sigh wistfully. A framed photograph stood neatly there, coated by a thin cover of dust. She didn't need to pick it up to know what the picture showed.

A picture of her, beside her twin brother Sasuke, older brother Itachi, and their parents.

* * *

**Neh? What do you think? Is it bad? Is it good? Is it just as good/bad as before?  
**


	2. Chapter 2

For a moment, Midori was tempted to just look for her brother before she did anything else. How was Sasuke doing? Was he still the same? She doubted it, especially after...

Gritting her teeth, she whipped around and hurried away. Thinking of her twin brother - just like thinking of her older brother - always brought bad memories. Actually meeting him, while she was still in this half-awed state at being back in Konoha, would just be a disaster. Besides, she had much more important things to do.

Not daring to glance back at the compound she was rapidly leaving behind, she searched for the Hokage's office.

* * *

Sasuke was training with his teammates, Naruto and Sakura, when he saw a girl approach him. She had pale blue hair and teal eyes. Sasuke searched his memory for her face, and found nothing. He decided that this girl was probably one of his more shy admirers from the Academy. Come to think of it, he thought he remember a teal-eyed girl who had gazed at him during class back then…

"What do you want?" he asked her curtly, expecting her to just act all shy and girly, and giggle and blush.

Instead, she said, quietly but clearly, "I bring a message. The Hokage wishes to see you immediately."

Sasuke blinked. Then he turned and called to Naruto and Sakura, "The Hokage needs to see me."

Leaving Naruto gaping at him in disbelief, Sasuke followed the girl.

She was extremely quiet on the way, always a little ahead, leading the way. He was comfortable in the silence. Being in the same team as loud-mouthed Naruto was bad enough, and he also had Sakura constantly fawning over him. It was a relief to be with someone who wasn't always chattering in his ear. She barely even made a noise as she walked.

It wasn't until she knocked on the door that the silence was broken.

"Come in."

The girl opened it and let Sasuke enter. The Third Hokage sat at his desk, sifting through some papers.

"Yes, the young Uchiha boy is here," he said. "But where is the other person you said you'd bring?"

"I shall go fetch her immediately, Hokage-sama." The girl bowed respectfully, and went out of the room.

In a minute, an onyx-eyed girl returned. It was Midori.

For a moment, Sasuke stared at her. She looked very familiar…

Then, suddenly, it hit him. He stepped back, shock clearly etched on his usually emotionless face.

The Third Hokage and Midori watched him. The Hokage's eyes glittered with amusement; Midori just had a faint smile.

"I suppose you are who your friend says," the Hokage said to Midori, studying the young girl. No signs of a transformation jutsu, and she did have the typical Uchiha traits. "But if you are really an Uchiha, I will need more than your brother's recognition."

"Of course." Midori's irises reddened, and three black comma shapes swirled into place.

"Ah, the famed Sharingan." The Hokage leaned back in his chair. "Yes. This should be enough to persuade anyone that you are indeed Midori Uchiha."

"M-Midori?" Sasuke stammered. "But… I saw you dead, on… on _that _night."

Midori knew that he was referring to the night of the Uchiha massacre. "It must have been a Genjutsu," she said gently, trying not to upset her brother.

The Hokage watched, a smile coming to his face. "You two can leave. I will make arrangements for you, Midori, to become a Genin, and put you in a squad."

Midori nodded gratefully, and led Sasuke out. When she turned to ask the Hokage something, he interrupted, "Don't worry. I'll try to put you and your brother together."

Midori gave him another grateful nod, and left after Sasuke.

The Hokage smiled, although the cheerful expression faded as he began work on some papers. This whole business about a supposedly dead Uchiha turning up out of nowhere, he knew, would need a painful amount of paperwork to be done.


	3. Chapter 3

Midori woke up, and she felt confused for a moment. Where was she again?

And then she remembered. She was home.

Home… the word gave her a warm fuzzy feeling. Midori snuggled in her sheets, closing her eyes to preserve the feelings of content. She felt comfortable and safe, just lying there.

When Midori finally got up and dressed, she heard Sasuke going out of his room. She smiled. He had always woken up later than her, since they were small.

Suddenly, the door was flung open, revealing Sasuke.

"Hey! I could have still been asleep!" Midori protested.

Sasuke smirked. "But you weren't. As I expected."

Midori grinned. He remembered, just like she did.

"Come on, I'll make breakfast," Sasuke said. When his twin sister pretended to be shocked, he added, "Just this morning, to celebrate you coming back. After that, you're doing the cooking."

With a laugh, Midori followed her twin to the kitchen.

The two twins were munching on fried tomatoes on toast.

"So," said Sasuke. "Where were you all these years?"

Midori had known that this question would pop up, and she already had the answer prepared. "I thought you were dead too. And, well, I thought it would be best to get away from Konoha for some time. I didn't tell anyone that I was an Uchiha, and it was peaceful. But I heard you were alive, so I came back. And here I am."

"You were alone the whole time?"

Sasuke thought he saw his sister stiffen slightly, and her expression darken. But when he looked again, she seemed perfectly fine.

"I had a few people to help me out with techniques," she said. "People not from Konoha. It was a good experience."

"I'd say you've gotten stronger, Dori-chan," Sasuke said, using his old nickname for her. "You got your Sharingan to third tomoe already."

"You haven't, Sasu-chan?" Midori replied, a faint teasing note in her voice.

"Correct. For now. But I _will _get it. And I will have my revenge…"

Sasuke muttered the last sentence darkly to himself, but Midori heard it. Her heart sank. So Sasuke was going to try and kill Itachi after all, to avenge their clan.

Midori wished for life to be as happy and carefree as in their childhood. Sure, Sasuke had always been ignored by their father, but at least she and her brothers were happy and had fun together.

Now, seeing her twin glaring at the table and plotting the death of their once-beloved older brother, Midori winced. It was just painful, watching this.

Midori stood up, pushing her empty plate away. "I've got to see the Hokage about me being a Genin and about my team. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Midori hurried away before Sasuke could say anything. It was a relief to step outside and see people bustling past.

'They _don't have to worry about their brothers trying to kill each other,_' a voice whispered in her head.

With a sudden burst of irritation, Midori gritted her teeth, silently cursed her family for having these stupid problems, and practically stomped off to the Hokage's office.

* * *

**Did anyone notice something about the last chapter, before this one? Yup, that's right, cookies for you! No author note AT ALL! But anyway, I hope you like this newer version of Uchiha Twin. Reviews are appreciated, and will be gladly taken in. Oh yeah, and I probably made typos, so TELL ME!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Wow, reviewed and Favorited already! Arigatou!**

**TeamWorkIsKey: *muses* Not precisely sure how important they'll be, but I've got a rough idea. PS: I started reading 'Path of My Brothers'. It's good!**

**Oh yeah, and I swear I did not copy from YukiTenVianey Team's 'Sasuke's Twin'! I only read it after I finished the chapter!**

* * *

'_Breathe. Calm down.'_

With that recited again and again in her head, Midori was her usual self when she knocked on the Hokage's door. Inside, the Hokage was talking with another man. Judging from his clothing, Midori guessed he was a Konoha Chunin or Jonin.

"Ah, Midori," the Hokage greeted her. "This is Iruka. He is an instructor at the Academy, and was in charge of the graduation exam that your brother and his teammates participated in. I assume you are ready now? Iruka will test you immediately."

Midori nodded, and Iruka cleared his throat and said, "For the graduation exam, the students had to create three Shadow Clones."

Midori made the hand sign, and in a poof of smoke she was standing beside three clones of herself. Iruka nodded. "She passes, Hokage-sama."

"Very good." The Hokage took a Konoha headband from a drawer. "Midori. You are now a Genin of Konoha. Congratulations!"

With a small smile, Midori wore the headband around her forehead. "Thank you, Hokage-sama. But which squad am I on?"

"Ah. Unfortunately, the Council demands that all the teams must have three members each, so you are not technically with your brother. Rather, you will take turns with some of the teams, your brother's included. Basically, you are without a team. I hope this is fine with you?"

"It's good, for a compromise," answered Midori. "Which team will I go with first?"

"First, we have placed you with your brother," the Hokage informed her. "Team 7, with Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki, in the charge of Kakashi Hatake."

Midori nodded, and added, slightly hesitantly, "Hokage-sama… can I ask for something? I'd like to see the files on the teams I will be sharing missions with, if I can. I want to know who I'll be training with before I meet them."

"An odd request, but I suppose so." The Hokage turned to a drawer and took out some folders. "Here. The files on your brother's team are included."

"Thank you very much, Hokage-sama," Midori said, taking the folders. "I will return them once I am finished."

Exiting the office, she headed for the Uchiha compound, the files in her rucksack. Except for the ones about Team 7.

* * *

"Dori-chan? You're a Genin now!" Sasuke smiled at his sister as she returned. He added hopefully, "Are you in Team 7?"

"For now," Midori said. "Let's go to your training grounds. I'll explain on the way."

As they walked, talking, Sasuke regarded his sister properly. After all, the last time he had seen her, it was when they were just kids. Midori seemed older, not quite as childish as back then. But then again, she had never really been very childish in the first place.

But of course, there were some noticeable changes in his sister. For one, her dark hair was neatly put in a ponytail, with a few loose strands framing her face. In their childhood, she had always favored a low braid. Also, Midori had preferred to look exactly like her brother when they were younger, by wearing similar clothes – a high-collared dark blue or black shirt and white shorts. Now, Midori was wearing a dark green shirt with a small Uchiha crest on the back, a dark brown skirt, and black shorts, with dark green sandals.

"So I'm not really going to be in your team," finished Midori. "But I'll try to go on missions with you." She had a trace of disappointment in her voice, and her onyx eyes looked sad.

Sasuke nodded, although he was disappointed too. "Well, we're together today."

Midori gave a huge grin. "Great! I thought you'd get really annoyed or upset. But ANYWAY, let's go meet Naruto and Sakura! Oh, before you ask how I know them, the Hokage told me!"

Her grin and lively speech surprised Sasuke – spooked him a little, even. Midori had never been so loud and bubbly when they were younger – she was always calm and quiet. And wasn't she just all sad a moment ago…?

"Er, alright…" Sasuke said slowly. He glanced, still startled, at his sister's face. The grin was still plastered there, but there was something odd about her eyes – they seemed to flash a bit golden in this light… "We're getting close to the training grounds soon."

"Alright, Sasu-chan." Midori's grin faded to a small smile, which relieved Sasuke. This was more like the Midori he knew. "So, what are Naruto and Sakura like?"

Sasuke looked a little annoyed. "Naruto's an idiot, and he keeps on saying he'll become the Hokage. Sakura is just as bad – she's always following me around, going 'Sasuke-kun!' It's annoying."

Midori gave a small laugh. "Matches her pink hair."

Sasuke stopped in his tracks. "How did you know Sakura has pink hair?"

"Oh… you know that girl who fetched you to the Hokage?" Midori answered quickly. "That was one of my friends – Setsuko Fubuki. She helped me out when I visited Kirigakure. Setsuko's amazing – she even knows ice jutsu."

"Isn't that a Kekkei Genkai?" asked Sasuke, remembering Haku from his first important mission. "The only people who could use it are dead, aren't they?"

"Exactly!" Midori beamed. "So she's really special… Setsuko ran away from her home when she was seven, and I met her. We became best friends…" Midori abruptly stopped, and continued walking. "Come on. I don't want to be late."

Sasuke ran a little to catch up, and looked at his sister's face curiously. Her normal expression – cheerful but still calm – was there, but there was something else too… Sadness?

* * *

**Mu mu mu… Midori, past shrouded in darkness as always. WHO IS SETSUKO? Tell me what you think about this chapter!  
**

**Y'know, I think this is the longest chapter yet! (The previous ones were short - and updated so quickly after each other - because I wrote them in a notebook while on holiday, and I couldn't tell how long they'd be on the computer)  
**

**And now for thanking the people who have shown they like this story (or at least are interested)**

**Thank you for Story Alert: GrimmyRayne, and Hitsugaya Aiko!**

**I promise I will try to update more frequently with this new version!  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**I am such a promise-breaker… Eh, but one problem with me…**

***cough* I AM NOT OBSESSED WITH NARUTO ANYMORE. I still like it, but I have a new favorite anime. Also, school is horribly hectic. So, I will update this even less than before?  
**

* * *

"HEY, TEME! Hey, who's that?"

There was Naruto Uzumaki – looking exactly like his picture on the files that Midori had read on the way back from the Hokage's office. He was waving at Sasuke, a huge, almost idiotic grin on his face.

"Yeah, Sasuke-kun, who is that?"

The pink-haired girl, Sakura, that Sasuke had proclaimed annoying. Yup, Midori had read about her too.

Right now, Sakura was staring at her, a weird look on her face. Midori saw the surprise turn into hostility.

"I'm Sasuke's twin sister," Midori said instantly, knowing exactly why Sakura seemed so mad.

Sakura and Naruto blinked. Sasuke added, "It's true."

"You had a twin sister?" Naruto gaped. "You never told us!"

"And why would I need to do that?" Sasuke retorted.

"He's right, Naruto, and anyway we never asked," Sakura said immediately, glancing at Sasuke with adoring eyes. Midori raised an eyebrow, and glanced at her brother. He seemed irritated.

"Is Kakashi here yet?" Sasuke asked, already knowing the answer.

Naruto snorted. "Of course not. He's _always _late, teme. Probably won't be here for another hour."

Midori glanced at her brother. "Then what do we do?"

Sasuke shrugged, and sat down beside a tree. "Anything. Naruto's even gone to get ramen a couple of times."

His twin blinked. "Um, alright."

Midori glanced around. Sakura was sitting on the side, her eyes unfocused and a dreamy expression on her face. Naruto was preparing to take a nap, leaning on a tree. Sasuke had his chin on his hands, intently focused on something in the distance. Midori flinched. He was probably thinking about how he would kill Itachi.

'_Calm down, he could just be planning how to get Sakura to leave her alone_,' whispered a gentle, soothing voice in her head.

Midori allowed herself to be calmed. She stood perfectly still, taking a couple of deep breaths. Finally, she nodded slightly to herself.

"Yeah, that's it, that's it," she mumbled, running her fingers through her hair uneasily.

"Hey, who's this?"

Midori nearly jumped at the voice behind her. She turned around, and saw a man with silver hair, and his headband covering one eye.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto leaped to his feet. "You're early today!"

"Yeah, well, Hokage-sama said I might have a new student," Kakashi said, looking at Midori. "Midori Uchiha, Sasuke's long-lost twin sister, no?"

Midori gave a respectful nod. "Yes, I am."

"Alright, so I'm Kakashi Hatake, the Jonin in charge of you three," Kakashi said. "You'll be working with us for about a week or two. Then, you're going to… Team 10, I think."

"Eh? Shikamaru's team? Why there?" Naruto interrupted, a puzzled expression on his face. "I thought Midori's on our team!"

Kakashi sighed. "Midori is going to be spending time with each of the teams. Like, now she's with us, but later she'll be on another team, then another. Got it?" he explained slowly.

Naruto nodded rapidly. "Yup, got it, Kakashi-sensei!"

Midori exchanged a glance with Sasuke, who rolled his eyes, in a _Yeah, he's always an idiot like this _way.

* * *

**I'm thinking of deleting Crimson Night again. Yeah, I know you're looking at me all exasperated like, but I just don't have the time and motivation for that.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Aw, thanks, TeamWorkIsKey! You guys really encourage me when you say stuff like that!**

**I have a fanfic started for my new favorite anime, but it's supposed to be fluff, and… well, I don't know whether I did it good. Input?**

**Okay, I might have some facts wrong here, I haven't watched the pre-Shippuden seasons for ages…**

* * *

"Guuuuuys, heeeeelp!"

Midori sighed at Naruto's voice. The idiot had, to try and show up Sasuke and impress Sakura, chosen two huge dogs to walk, and they were running off, dragging him in the dust behind them. _You'd think he'd have learned from his mistakes the last two times…Honestly, if he could only focus on the actual mission as much as he does on outdoing Sasuke…_

Midori tossed her dog's leash to her twin, who caught it, and dashed off after Naruto. She quickly caught up, and ran ahead of them, stopping in front of the dogs to yell, her eyes flashing dangerously, "Sit!"

The dogs immediately sat, and Naruto was thrown forward. Midori stepped to the side to avoid him, and he crashed into the ground.

"Heh, thanks," Naruto said with a nervous chuckle, scratching his head.

Midori rolled her eyes and returned to the rest of their team, leading the two dogs. "Naruto, maybe you should swap with me." She gestured towards the small dog she had previously been walking. Before he could protest, she added, more forcefully, "Just do it, Naruto."

With Naruto settled, Team 7 completed their mission without any trouble.

Midori didn't mind walking dogs, no matter how boring it was. It was an easy job, giving her a chance to just think.

It had only been a week since she had returned to Konoha, and so far she had only been on Team 7, which wasn't as normal as she had thought. Sasuke and Naruto told her about their mission to the Land of Waves, and she was impressed. Naruto wasn't as big an idiot as he seemed.

A yell from the said blond made Midori sigh. Maybe not.

* * *

"Midori, tomorrow you'll be with Team 10," Kakashi informed her that evening.

Midori nodded. To be completely honest, she was a bit relieved. Even if being with her brother was great, she had to admit that having to keep an eye on Naruto all the time was getting on her nerves. Sakura was always too busy chattering to Sasuke, and Sasuke himself was always either in his 'I'm too cool to run after that idiot' mood, or too busy trying to get away from Sakura. So who did that leave to chase after Naruto?

Yup, Midori.

"The Jonin in charge of Team 10 is Asuma Sarutobi, and it includes…" Kakashi went on.

Midori interrupted. "Yes, I know about it. The Hokage gave me some files on all the teams that I would be going on."

Kakashi nodded. "Then I don't have to explain, good. You should tell Sasuke and the rest of the team."

Midori tilted her head to one side. "Aren't you telling them, Kakashi-sensei?"

"I have other things to do." With that, the Jonin disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Rolling her eyes, Midori remembered that Team 7 had planned to eat dinner at Ichiraku Ramen. She began walking there, looking at her sandals as she walked, thinking hard. To the people she passed by, Midori didn't look like she was just twelve – the dark look in her eyes, heavy with experience, made her look older than that.

A memory had entered her head...

_Midori, not more than nine years old, shivered. Everywhere she looked it was white with snow, and more was falling from the sky. Midori wasn't used to this weather, and she was freezing despite the thick green jacket she was wearing, and her gloved hands were tucked into her pockets._

_The person walking beside her was making no move to speak to the young girl, or to try and comfort her. It wouldn't have been much use anyway. Midori always knew when people were lying to be nice – perhaps because she was such an accomplished liar herself._

_The two walked in silence. Suddenly, Midori spotted a flash of blue through all the white, and they found another young girl, sitting on the bank of a frozen river. She was about Midori's age, with pale, almost silver, icy blue hair, mostly hidden under a fur-lined hood. She was sitting in the snow, cupping something in her navy gloves._

_Midori glanced at her companion, and noticed him walking towards the girl. She quickened her pace. The blue-haired girl didn't notice them – she was staring at the thing in her hands. Midori peered over her shoulder, and her eyes widened._

_The girl was holding a shard of ice, stained crimson with blood. The girl seemed to be just staring at it, but Midori couldn't see her expression from this angle._

_Midori's companion tapped the girl on the shoulder. Just noticing the two people, she jumped to her feet, but she still clutched the shard of ice in one hand. Her eyes were large and teal as she stared at them._

"_Don't worry, we won't hurt you," Midori's companion said, trying to sound encouraging. "Your name is Setsuko Fubuki right?"_

_The girl stared at them. Slowly, she nodded, but suspicion was growing in her teal eyes, and her stare turned frosty._

"_Can I see what you were holding?" he went on._

_Not taking her eyes away from them, Setsuko raised her arm, and opened her fist to reveal the bloody shard of ice._

_Midori was puzzled. Even in this cold weather, a shard of ice that small should have melted if it was held tightly in Setsuko's hand._

_Her companion nodded, a satisfied expression on his face. Midori heard him mumbling to himself, "Yes, good." In a louder voice, he said to Setsuko, "You don't seem like you have anywhere to go home to." Midori almost winced at the blunt statement, but Setsuko didn't react. "Would you like to come with us?"_

_Setsuko stared, and her gaze turned to Midori. Something in her eyes turned a little less hostile, and, slowly, she nodded._

* * *

**So whaddya think of the flashback? This chapter's a bit longer than the last one, yay! Review?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Eep. It's been ages since I've worked on this. Well, I'm actually not really following Naruto anymore, but I'm not ready to let go of this fanfic yet. I've spent too long musing over it! *nods* So I'll still try to write it. But I'll be getting my info from the Wiki, so… Yeah, details will be pretty sketchy. And characters will probably be OOC.**

* * *

"So you're leaving the team already?" Sasuke questioned his sister.

Midori nodded, pushing her empty bowl away. She'd stopped to eat ramen with Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto while she explained that she would be training with Team 10.

"Aw," Naruto complained. "You've hardly hung out with us!"

"That was the deal," Midori reminded him. "Switch around the teams. Be grateful I can train as a Genin at all, Naruto."

Naruto sighed dramatically. "Fine. But I still don't like it…"

Midori idly traced the edge of her bowl while Naruto ranted a little more. Her eyes flickered outside, and her eyes narrowed suddenly. Her expression turned sour for a heartbeat, before settling into a composed mask. She stood up. "I've got to go. Tell you about training tomorrow."

Before anyone could say anything, Midori hurried out of Ichiraku Ramen. Her onyx eyes were trained on the sky. _Now, really?_

A small, almost feeble voice murmured quietly in her head. _You know, there was once a time when you looked forward to training… Always telling Itachi what a brilliant shinobi you'd be._

Midori gritted her teeth at the memory. _A child's dream is always nicer than reality._

_Are you not a child then? _That voice just kept nagging her.

She quickened her pace, trying to ignore it. _I wish I was._

* * *

"What do you want?" Midori snapped.

She had managed to get out of Konoha without alerting the sentries. Not that they would stop her, but it was best to be secretive. Safer.

She was now standing in a clearing in the forest. It wasn't too far from Konoha, but far away enough to speak freely without fear of being heard.

"You've had your little holiday. It's time to leave."

"Not yet," Midori protested. "It's only been a week!"

"A week is long enough."

Just as Midori was opening her mouth, a second voice insisted quietly, "Let her stay."

Midori breathed a sigh of relief. The newcomer went on, "I heard the Chunin exams are coming up soon. She can keep an eye on Konoha and Suna too."

"Fine," the first person conceded. "But we'll have to leave straight after that. You of all people should know it's dangerous to stay here too long…"

A slight swoosh told Midori that the other person had left. Well, at least he'd persuaded her 'mentor' – she snorted silently at the word; it seemed much too caring – to let her stay…

Midori began to back away. "Well, it won't help me keep up this charade if someone notices I'm missing," she added persuasively. "And disappearing suddenly like this is too risky. It would be safer for you to stop sending crows as messengers… In fact, don't contact me at all."

There was a snort. "Insolent…"

_You really shouldn't push him like that_. That voice in her head was whispering to Midori again as she hurried back to Konoha, missing the end of the mutter. _Especially since he let you stay._

_She can push him however much she wants! _Another voice cut in snappishly. _He's a jerk!_

Midori sucked in her breath sharply at the sudden migraine, massaging her temples wearily. Not again…

"I thought it was supposed to have stopped," she murmured, her voice tight.

Unable to take it, she shut her eyes and made the hand-signs of a teleportation jutsu she'd been working on. Landing just outside the Uchiha compound, she ran inside to her room.

The ache numbing her senses, she blindly grabbed her bag from under her pillow and snatched a small piece of paper from inside. Slapping it on her forehead, she performed the hand-seals that she knew would activate the seal.

The pain began to ebb. Midori gave a sigh of relief, peeling off the paper and tucking it carefully into her pocket. Who knew if it would come back again…

* * *

**So, what do you readers make of the last part? Review?**


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